


I would have fallen even with wings

by K___Kelly



Series: I would... [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Keyleth-centric (Critical Role), Vax POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-25 02:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21348496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K___Kelly/pseuds/K___Kelly
Summary: I know that Vax started falling for Keyleth in the Underdark when Liam rolled high insight, but I wanted to write a fic that expressed what Vax saw in Keyleth in relation to what Liam was told.  Does that make sense? Hope so...enjoy!
Relationships: Keyleth/Vax'ildan (Critical Role)
Series: I would... [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1539013
Comments: 1
Kudos: 43





	I would have fallen even with wings

She’s been so on edge recently. At first, he thinks that her strange behavior is just a result of being underground for too long. However, her intense distrust of Kima seems very strange and very unlike her. He looks at her carefully, noticing that her forehead is creased, fists are clenched and trembling, and there’s a slight shine in her eyes.

“Keyleth, can you tell me what’s wrong?”

She doesn’t answer, she seems lost in thought. Her fingers are curled around a tiny piece of metal. He can see her fingers tracing the shape and texture of the rust absentmindedly. For a moment he wonders what the piece is from and why she has it, but in an instant, he remembers…he remembers seeing her crouch down still shaking and pick something up. She had slipped it into her pocket and turned away completely. That was after the battle with the Dread Emperor. After Pike was unable to resurrect the child that Keyleth had desperately tried to save. Even now he can recall the look of abject horror that twisted her face when they all heard that sickening snap. She tried to break the chain holding him, but the grasping vine was not strong enough to split metal and instead, it pulled the chain taut and they saw the child crumple to ground, limp and unmoving. She stumbled away and for the rest of the battle she refused to cast magic anywhere near the imprisoned children. He can see it all clearly in his mind’s eye, her head low so he couldn’t see her eyes. Long wavy red hair bloodstained and covering her face. 

“I’m sorry Vax, did you say something?”

He looks up but she’s not facing him. He’s looking at her back and its as bent and tense as it was the day she walked away from Vox Machina to go to the Earth Ashari. She never said she was leaving, and she didn't say if she was coming back. He and Vex’ahlia were more than used to having people walk out on them, but every member of Vox Machina is a fixture in their lives and when they parted, even just for a year, it was unexpectedly painful. When she came back, she seemed the same but now he can see that something has changed. He recalls the looks of confliction that have been plaguing her since she returned. The sounds of innocent glee over the defeat of a dangerous enemy followed closely by the looks of pain and regret as they leave another corpse in their wake. Death seems to follow them everywhere and that knowledge seems to weigh on her more than anyone else.

“Vax are you alright you look worried?”

He can see now that she has been carrying this burden carefully and quietly, only revealing it in passing moments of voiced regret which are generally drowned out by the destructive but well-meaning members of their party. Everyone was surprised when she had been so quick to trust an Ilithid. But, this thought gives him pause... He muses over this seemingly unusual circumstance, but then smiles recalling that Clarota is not the first monster Kiki has tried to tame and he won't be the last. She always believes in second chances and tries to see the best in everyone. A dangerous habit that he has always reluctantly admired. 

Of course, the one thing she has never believed in is divinity, and her disdain for it has increased since Pike’s death and is further incensed now that Sarenrae's holy symbol is cracked in the Underdark where everyone would be grateful for some divine light. Asking Keyleth to trust this surly somewhat ungrateful halfling whose god didn't save her, and then to follow Lady Kima deeper into darkness knowing that death follows them all…of course she would lash out. Vax knows that _he_ wouldn’t have stuck around to sort through these kinds of emotions. Heavy and intricate. He knows if he were in her position he would have walked away from it all at least until things became clearer. But she came back to them and she is still trying so hard. He looks up at her and she’s looking back at him, there is concern in her beautiful green eyes. 

“Scanlan, go distract Lady Kima”

The gnome shrugs and pulls the halfling Paladin aside for a consultation of sorts. 

Vax turns back toward Keyleth and grabs her hand staring intently into her eyes. She’s startled by the sudden touch, but she squeezes his hand in acknowledgement.

“Kiki we are here for you, we’re your family we trust you and we support you…what you say to us matters more, she still has to earn our trust you already have ours.”

The tears brim over and she bites her lip smiling gratefully.

“Thank you, Vax.”

His heart flutters as she nods, and he watches the uncertainty melt from her form as she draws herself to her full height. He listens as she voices her distrust, but still agrees to follow Kima further into the Underdark towards the horn of Orcist. Scanlan comes back over with Kima. If Kima looks somewhat horrified and more than a little disgusted, than he doesn’t take notice. They gather their things and start to head off. Before they do, he feels a small hand cover his and she beams at him through the darkness. Bright. Fresh. Beautiful. Strong.

His heart starts beating a million miles per minute, there’s a feeling of falling but he tries to ignore it focusing instead on trying desperately to slow down this new and terrifying rhythm 


End file.
